Louisiana’s Water Economy Sectors
Water is the foundation of our quality of life and economy.
Louisiana possesses great water wealth and myriad water-related natural and social resources. Our water strengths are naturally occurring, diverse, and of interest to the world, exactly the elements needed to generate a strong, indigenous water economy. But we are only beginning to study and understand what these assets are, and how we might build a stronger environment, economy, and society by working more effectively to tap our water potential.
Who:
Everybody, and every living thing
What:
Water is everybody’s business
Water is everybody’s responsibility
Water, for better and for worse, is our future
When:
Now is the time to build a new economy for Louisiana. We are in an era of unprecedented global investment in science, infrastructure, and climate adaptation.
Where:
Everywhere
It flows from you: your body, dwelling, yard, business, church, neighborhood and community
Why:
What’s good for water is good for everybody and everything.To thrive in Louisiana is to be a good manager of water. And because the wide range of jobs connected to water is our greatest economic opportunity, it builds on our strengths-and our challenges.
How:
Start with water
Define the language and metrics
With urgency
Definition of Louisiana Water Economy:
The Louisiana Water Economy is all economic and social activities in which water is an important and/or dominant factor, and in which Louisiana’s relative water “wealth” and abundance—whether for “good”, or as is the case with costly surge, flood, and disaster management, for “bad”—contributes to the existence of the sector, resource, or activity.
Louisiana’s seven indigenous water sectors:
Agriculture and Fisheries
Coast and Environment
Ecotourism and Recreation
Water Infrastructure
Law and Policy
Maritime and Ports
Energy and Industry
Tragic floods and storms challenge us to not only effectively respond to human needs, but to rethink many important aspects of our water management and development patterns. As we work toward recovery, resilience, mitigation and adaptation, consider the following:
What is our shared vision for a thriving Louisiana?
How do we effectively address the "doing what we've always done" paradigm?
Long-term versus short-term: how do we balance immediate needs with the need for longer-term resilience?
Water is everybody's business!
To learn more read:
Strategies for Funding Watershed Management and Flood Risk Reduction in Louisiana